Malta lukewarm on more EU treaty changes
Malta is not showing any enthusiasm on the possibility of a further change in the new EU Lisbon Treaty as being requested by France and Germany to have a permanent bail-out fund aimed at preventing another Greek-style economic and financial...
Malta is not showing any enthusiasm on the possibility of a further change in the new EU Lisbon Treaty as being requested by France and Germany to have a permanent bail-out fund aimed at preventing another Greek-style economic and financial crisis.
While the issue is expected to dominate today’s EU summit meeting in Brussels, to be attended also by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Malta has already expressed its stand that a new change in the treaty can possibly result in more difficulties for the Union.
Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg played down the issue of a new realty change. “Malta has no particular stand on such a treaty change but it already raised the question that if such a treaty change would turn negative in its ratification process by 27 parliaments, the consequence would be that no crisis reaction mechanism would be put in place, not even in an administrative way,” he warned.
Together with a new deal introducing new penalties on member states that do not stay within the EU financial rules, France and Germany, the EU’s biggest heavyweights, are seeking a change in the treaty to set up a permanent EU bail-out fund that would comply with the German constitution.
Belgium, that holds the rotating EU presidency, said the change was about adding a few lines to the EU document when Croatia joined the Union, probably next year, rather than opening up the whole treaty for fresh debate.
However, many member states, lead by the UK, oppose the idea, fearing that opening the treaty in such a short time after its painful ratification would be “dangerous”. The UK, led by the new Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, has already promised that any further changes to the EU treaty would be to a referendum.
During the two-day summit, EU leaders are expected to endorse the report of the Task Force on Economic Governance, chaired by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, which includes several proposals to increase fiscal discipline and strengthen economic surveillance.